The NIH builds its budget by evaluating current opportunities and public health needs while maintaining strong support for investigator-initiated research. The formulation of the NIH budget provides an established framework within which priorities are identified, reviewed, and justified.

Scientific “Peer” Review

Investigator-initiated applications for NIH funding are evaluated by peer review groups composed of scientists from outside the NIH. The peer review group evaluates the scientific and technical merit of the proposed research. These evaluations are used by the individual Institutes to determine which projects to fund.